Environmental Epidemiology
Course content
The course covers description and analysis of health effects in
population occurring entirely or partly due to environmental
factors. It is focused on the methodology and interpretation of
environmental epidemiology and the most relevant environmental
factors covering the following topics:
Demography and disease patterns
Analytical epidemiology: design and causality
Exposure and outcome assessment
Dose-response relationships
Bias and confounding
Critical interpretation of epidemiological studies, design and data
Molecular epidemiology with laboratory based development and use of
biomarkers for exposure, susceptibility and effect.
Gene-environment interactions
Biostatistics in environmental epidemiology
Epidemiology of hormone disruptors, air quality, green space,
noise, weather conditions and climate change, radiation, food
carcinogens, heavy metals and occupational exposures.
MSc Programme in Environmental Science- compulsory
The main objective of the course is to introduce key methods for human population based assessment of environmental risks, the designs and applications, strengths and weaknesses and utilisation of understanding of molecular mechanisms.
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
Knowledge
- Describe population demographics and disease patterns with use of rates, incidence and prevalence
- Demonstrate understanding of the fundamentals of analytical epidemiology
- Demonstrate understanding of the problems of exposure assessment for environmental factors
- Describe the use of registers and cohorts in particular in Denmark and similar countries
- Demonstrate understanding of bias and confounding in environmental health studies
- Describe the epidemiology of the most relevant environmental factors
- Demonstrate understanding of exposure-effect relationship in susceptible groups
Skills
- Prepare a protocol for environmental epidemiology studies
- Apply methods for exposure assessment for environmental factors
- Deal with bias and confounding in environmental health studies
- Perform basic statistical analysis for epidemiological data
- Analyse dose-response relationships
Competences
- Extract and discuss strength and weaknesses of relevant epidemiological literature
- Discuss exposure and outcome assessment with relevant specialists
- Critically evaluate and interpret epidemiological studies, design and data
- Discuss and apply the most appropriate design of epidemiological studies for an environmental health problem
- Evaluate and discuss causality in environmental health problems
Lectures and exercises
Open for credit transfer students and other external students. Apply here:
Credit transfer students apply here
Other external students apply here
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Oral examination, 30 min under invigilation
- Type of assessment details
- ---
- Aid
- Without aids
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
More than one internal examiner
Criteria for exam assessment
Knowledge
- Describe population demographics and disease patterns with use of rates, incidence and prevalence
- Demonstrate understanding of the fundamentals of analytical epidemiology
- Demonstrate understanding of the problems of exposure assessment for environmental factors
- Describe the use of registers and cohorts in particular in Denmark and similar countries
- Demonstrate understanding of bias and confounding in environmental health studies
- Describe the epidemiology of the most relevant environmental factors
- Demonstrate understanding of gene-environment interactions
Skills
- Prepare a protocol for environmental epidemiology studies
- Apply methods for exposure assessment for environmental factors
- Deal with bias and confounding in environmental health studies
- Perform basic statistical analysis and power calculation for epidemiological data
- Analyse dose-response relationships
Competences
- Extract and discuss strength and weaknesses of relevant epidemiological literature
- Discuss exposure and outcome assessment with relevant specialists
- Critically evaluate and interpret epidemiological studies, design and data
- Discuss and apply the most appropriate design of epidemiological studies for an environmental health problem and/or molecular epidemiology techniques
- Evaluate and discuss causality in environmental health problems
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 21
- Class Instruction
- 42
- Preparation
- 106
- Practical exercises
- 0
- Project work
- 34
- Guidance
- 2
- Exam
- 1
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- SMKK09001U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Block 3
- Schedulegroup
-
BMa 8-12, Ti 13-17 og Fr 8-12
- Capacity
- 30
- Studyboard
- Study Board of Natural Resources, Environment and Animal Science
Contracting department
- Department of Public Health
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Course Coordinator
- Tom Cole-Hunter (13-763065716e672f6a77707667744275777066306d7730666d)
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